World Premiere
In a meaty follow-up to her memorable first feature Easy Land (VIFF 2019), Serbian-Canadian director Sanja Živković returns with a deeply moving family drama about a grandfather fighting for the custody of his newborn granddaughter, who is rejected by her young mother after she learns that the child is afflicted with a rare genetic disorder known as Cat’s Cry syndrome.
Based on true events that took place in the Serbian town of Karagujevac, Živković handles the subject with utmost care and respect, leaning on her sharp storytelling instincts and infusing the story with a nuanced reading of the cultural framework. She approaches the individual arcs with compassion and without judgment, making sure that each character is given emotional space and context, amplifying the film’s resonance and complexity. This is further strengthened by all-around compelling performances, featuring a cast of regional heavyweights like Jasmin Geljo and Marija Škaričić.
Oct 1 & 3: Q&A with director Sanja Živković; producer Vladimir Paskaljevic; and actor Jasmin Geljo
Presented by
Media Partner
Jasmin Geljo, Andrijana Đorđević, Sanja Mikitišin, Marija Škaričić, Denis Murić, Sergej Trifunović
Canada/Serbia/Croatia
2024
In Serbo-Croatian with English subtitles
Domestic violence
Book Tickets
Indigenous & Community Access
Indigenous Access Tickets Community Access Tickets Ticket Donation Requests
Credits & Director
Executive Producer
Nevena Savić, Jelica Rosandić
Producer
Vladimir Paskaljević, Petar Paskaljević, Munire Armstrong, Irena Skorić
Screenwriter
Goran Paskaljević, Djordje Sibinović
Cinematography
Milica Drakulić
Editor
Radojka Vrabac
Production Design
Nevena Marković
Original Music
Dalibor Grubačević
Sanja Živković
Sanja Živković is a Serbian-Canadian filmmaker. Her first feature Easy Land premiered at TIFF 2019, screened at VIFF, FNC Montreal, Palm Springs, Goteborg, and Belgrade’s FEST. Select short films include Cleo (TIFF 2016), and Marijina Epizoda (Montreal World FF 2014), awarded in Belgrade and Sarajevo. She received a BFA from Simon Fraser University’s Film Program, her MFA in Directing from the Faculty of Dramatic Arts, Belgrade, and completed the Canadian Film Centre Director’s Lab.
Filmography: Easy Land (2019)
Missing VIFF? Check Out What's Playing at the VIFF Centre
Akashi
In Mayumi Yoshida’s tender drama, struggling artist Kana journeys to Tokyo to attend her grandmother’s funeral. While there, she reconnects with her childhood love and stumbles across a family secret that prompts her to reconsider her place in the world.
The History of Concrete
After attending a workshop on pitching saccharine Hallmark movies, John Wilson tries to apply all the same best practices to his documentary about concrete. Frequently absurd and endlessly entertaining detours, asides, and digressions ensue.
NAZA
NAZA is a codeword euphemistically used by Israeli intelligence to indicate the number of civilians it expects will be killed in an airstrike. This chilling documentary exposes the policy and process of state-sanctioned mass killings.
I Am Not a Witch
Rungano Nyoni's acclaimed debut feature is a visually striking satire about a 9-year-old orphan accused of witchcraft in contemporary Zambia. Screening in the latest African Cinema Now! series, The Witch at the Edge of the Screen.
Queen at Sea
An academic is pitted against her stepfather in a moral crisis over the care of her mother, who lives with dementia. Winner of the Silver Bear Jury Prize and Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance at the 2026 Berlinale.
Image: © Seafaring